New Caledonia, a territory governed directly by France under the French Constitution of 1958, is situated approximately 2,000 kilometres north-east from Sydney, Australia. It has a land surface area of approximately 19,000 square kilometres and a population of approximately 250,000 people.

New Caledonia holds approximately one quarter of the worlds nickel reserves and is the region’s major income-earning industry.

The official language is French, which is also the language of education, business and trade, but a total of 33 other Melanesian-Polynesian languages and dialects are also spoken. New Caledonia is predominantly a Christian nation, with Roman Catholicism the most widely accepted religion, although various Protestant denominations also have a substantial following.

New Caledonia is in the process of moving toward full self-government following significant public unrest during the 1980s by Kanak (Melanesian) racial groups. Having a unicameral parliamentary system, 54 members are popularly elected to the Territorial Congress for five-year terms. All New Caledonians are entitled to vote in Territorial and French National elections from the age of 18 years.